This time of year, with Valentine’s day around the corner, we start thinking about hearts a little more. We express love and other joyful feelings that “come from the heart,” but how often do we really consider our heart’s health and what a healthy heart can do for your body? Due to the stress of everyday life, poor nutrition, and many other factors, our heart can reduce it’s natural ability to properly pump blood throughout the body effectively. Why is this so important? Blood contains Oxygen and many other essential nutrients that assist our body in carrying out functions to survive and perform actions. How can we prevent and maintain our heart’s health easily and effectively ?

Keep your heart strong and healthy with massage!

Massage therapy assists in relaxing the nervous system which allows the body to reduce the amount of Cortisol, a stress hormone, that the body produces. Following the reduction of the hormone, the body is calm which allows heart rate to slow down decreasing the amount of stress and muscular fatigue on the heart muscle it self. Another great way that massage helps to reduce the stress and fatigue on the heart is by reducing tension in the muscle fibers. How would this effect the heart you may ask? When tension is taken off of the muscles blood flow increases naturally, this process takes any additional strain off of the heart. The heart regulates it’s effort to pump blood depending on the demand for nutrients throughout the body and since the blood carries nutrients, if there is any interference, the heart feels that it has to pump hard to compensate when in actuality, if we take away the interference, in this case tight muscles, blood can flow effortlessly and efficiently with less strain on the heart. Proper nutrition, exercise, and stress management all play an important role in keeping your heart healthy, add massage therapy in the mix and not only will you feel better, but you amplify the results of those efforts!

“To keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.”
– Buddha

This week, October 23 – October 29, 2011, is the 15th annual Massage Therapy Awareness Week. The American Massage Therapy Association designates a week out of the year to raise the public’s awareness about massage therapy and it’s many benefits.

I have discussed in Blogs, articles, and newsletters about some of the great results of massage therapy and many of the conditions that it can treat and I plan to continue spread more knowledge throught out the whole year.

Getting yourself educated about how massage can help you can be one of the most beneficial things that you can do for yourself. People are realizing the healing power of massage and chiropractors, trainers, and even doctors are refering their patients out to recieve massage to help with recovery and pain management. Massage therapy is vastly becoming integral part of recovery, wellness, and treatment plans for conditions ranging from Fibromyalgia, pre- and post- surgery, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, Depression, and many more.

Do your research on what type of massage can help you best then do your research and find a therapist that can best meet your needs. If you aren’t sure how to go about it, just visit the locate a therapist seach engine on the AMTAwebsite or ask around. Word of mouth is always the best way to spread the word, so if you recieve regular massage then tell your friends and family. Let them know how massage has helped you and how much better they could be with the addition of massage therapy to their lives.

If you are reading this and you have any questions and think there is something that I can help you out with, please feel free to leave a comment or go to the Contact info page and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Be good to your body and yourself and enjoy the natural healing of your next massage!